[v1.08]
So apparently some changes were introduced
Vintage Heat Sink: ammo regen, but 60% lower ammo cap (mods can still counter that pretty reasonably)
Beam Emitter: increased stability, no damage reduction
Here's my go-to PAW compared to the experimental Valkyrie that I made
PAW augs: double mod, 4x kinetic coil
Valkyrie: double mod, heat sink, beam emitter, 2x kinetic coil
To test the Valk. I took my hardcore playthrough, flew to Voeld, looked for a Kett infested site aaand... took it apart ^^ Had to watch for the "charge" in the gun, but I cleared the area about as fast as I did with my old rifle. Bit faster maybe, considering the higher damage on the Valkyrie, plus it was an MK VII versus my old trusty PAW V
I think it's safe to say that non-remnant laser pew pew is a viable alternative now 🙂